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Large grant awarded for research into giant enzymes

AU Ideas has awarded a grant of DKK 5 million (approximately EUR 670,000) to Ditlev E. Brodersen to start a pilot centre for research into giant enzymes. The research could form the basis for developing new pharmaceuticals.

[Translate to English:] Lektor Ditlev E. Brodersen modtager en bevilling på 5 mio. kr. fra AU IDEAS til et pilotcenter, der skal forske i mega-enzymer. Forskningen vil kunne danne basis for udviklingen af nye lægemidler. Foto: Lisbeth Heilesen

In the new Centre for Natural Non-Ribosomal Peptide Synthesis, researchers will study the substances produced by a number of previously unknown mega enzymes – the so-called non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) – to determine whether they can form the basis for developing novel pharmaceuticals. The centre will also improve our future abilities to utilise genomic sequence information in predicting those mega enzymes in fungi which might carry the potential for producing new pharmaceuticals. The interdisciplinary research will involve biochemical and structural studies, fungal chemistry, and bioinformatics.

Background information

Non-ribosomal peptide synthetases refer to a group of very large enzymes found in both bacteria and fungi. These enzymes are characterised by being capable of synthesising a considerable number of bioactive peptides not based on genetic information, as is the case with ordinary mRNA-based protein synthesis.

On the basis of the order of binding and coupling domains inside the enzymes, amino acids and their derivatives are linked into well-defined peptide chains. Many such non-ribosomal peptides are strongly bioactive, and classic examples include penicillin and cyclosporin, an immunosuppressor drug used in the follow up to organ transplant surgery. A number of the compounds also have applications in the chemotherapeutic treatment of cancer patients.


Ditlev Egeskov Brodersen is an associate professor at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University. The pilot centre will initially run from 2012 to 2015, and will involve collaboration with Professor Henriette Giese, Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Aalborg University, and Associate Professor Christian Storm Pedersen, Bioinformatics Research Centre (BiRC), Aarhus University.

AU Ideas

The Aarhus University Research Foundation and Aarhus University launched AU Ideas to stimulate project development and the establishment of pilot centres to enable visionary and original project ideas to reach fruition. Because of the high number of qualified ideas, the capital was increased from DKK 50 million to DKK 78.4 million to encompass a total of 30 projects and 15 pilot centres (website in Danish only).

More information

Associate Professor Ditlev E. Brodersen
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Denmark
Aarhus University
+45 2166 9001- deb@mb.au.dk

Text: Ditlev Brodersen og Lisbeth Heilesen